If the foetus is given equal rights then, in principle, a court could force a woman to go through a dangerous birth rather than abort, because her life would be considered to be no more valuable than that of the foetus.

Legislation - Abortion
Act 1967

'The pregnancy has not exceeded its
twenty-fourth week.'

'The termination of the pregnancy is necessary to
prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant
woman.'

'The continuance of the pregnancy would involve
risk to the life of the pregnant woman.'

'There is a substantial risk that if the child
were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be
seriously handicapped.' '

Illegal abortions would claim lives - basic women's rights would be lost, as control over the reproductive and process is essential if women are to experience basic rights to life, liberty and self-determination.

Mary Anne Warren argues that women should have the right to abort unwanted pregnancies, because if the state was to prohibit abortions undesirable consequences would follow E.G. Backstreet abortions.

If the foetus is given equal rights then, in principle, a court could force a woman to go through a dangerous birth rather than abort, because her life would be considered to be no more valuable than that of the foetus.

Legislation - Abortion
Act 1967

'The pregnancy has not exceeded its
twenty-fourth week.'

'The termination of the pregnancy is necessary to
prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant
woman.'

'The continuance of the pregnancy would involve
risk to the life of the pregnant woman.'

'There is a substantial risk that if the child
were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be
seriously handicapped.' '

Conscience of the medical practitioner; doctors may refuse to carry out abortions on grounds of conscientious objection.

When does human life begin?

Biological Debates

Birth

The status of personhood is only applied at actual physical birth, the first true point of independence and individuality.

Dee Wells.

Viability

The time in which the unborn child can exist beyond any dependence on the mother.

Potentiality

Primitive streak - The 14th day of the development of the foetus - spinal chord.

Conception

From the point of fertilisation of the egg the resulting product being a human being.

Judith Jarvis Thompson - 'There is a continuous growth from acorn to oak tree, but an acorn is not an oak tree; just as a fertilised ovum - a newly implanted clump of cells - is not a person.'

Religious and Philosophical Debates

Consciousness

The state of being awake, aware of, or sensitive to ones surroundings.

Ensoulment

The status of personhood is deemed appropriate when the soul enters the body.

Continuity

Life must being when the potential life as an individual entity is recognisable, which is the zygote at conception.

Personhood - The stage at which a being is considered to be an individual human being with human rights.